Archive for
May 30th, 2014

The NBA, Shelly Sterling and the Sterling Family Trust today resolved their dispute over the ownership of the Los Angeles Clippers. Under the agreement, the Clippers will be sold to Steve Ballmer, pending approval by the NBA Board of Governors, and the NBA will withdraw its pending charge to terminate the Sterlings’ ownership of the team.

Because of the binding agreement to sell the team, the NBA termination hearing that had been scheduled for June 3 in New York City has now been cancelled. Mrs. Sterling and the Trust also agreed not to sue the NBA and to indemnify the NBA against lawsuits from others, including from Donald Sterling.

Here’s the Deseret News reporting on the Utah Jazz search for a new head coach:

Over the years, Quin Snyder has played for and worked with Mike Krzyzewski. The 47-year-old became a national coaching star while guiding the Missouri Tigers from 1999-2006. He’s been an NBA assistant on multiple occasions, including with the Atlanta Hawks most recently.

By the way, he’s also worked with Jazz general manager Dennis Lindsey.

Now, Snyder has emerged as a leading candidate to become the next head coach of the Utah Jazz, according to multiple sources.

“It’s very plausible,” one source told the Deseret News when speaking of Snyder possibly being hired by the Jazz.

Another source said Snyder is “very high on a short list” of Jazz coaching candidates.

Shelly Sterling has informed the NBA of her deal with Steve Ballmer to purchase the Los Angeles Clippers, but the league isn’t ready to call off next week’s owners hearing just yet.

First, it needs more information about the potential record-breaking $2 billion sale she agreed to with the former Microsoft CEO.

“We await the submission of necessary documentation from Mrs. Sterling,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said Friday in a statement. “In the meantime, the June 3 special meeting of the NBA Board of Governors remains as scheduled.”

The league is planning a hearing that day to consider the charge against her husband, Donald Sterling, for damaging the league with his racist comments. Owners could vote to terminate his ownership - and Shelly’s as well - during that hearing.

But Commissioner Adam Silver has said he would prefer the Sterlings sell the team, and Shelly Sterling announced late Thursday night that she’d signed a binding contract for a sale of the Clippers by The Sterling Family Trust to Ballmer.

The Cavaliers are spending their second day with a Clippers assistant, interviewing Alvin Gentry to be their head coach.

Gentry is the third known candidate to interview with the Cavs this week. They met with Chicago assistant Adrian Griffin on Tuesday, and the Cavs interviewed Clippers assistant Tyronn Lue on Thursday. Both Griffin and Lue are highly regarded but lack NBA head-coaching experience.

Cleveland will meet with former Memphis coach Lionel Hollins on Saturday.

The following statement has been issued by Mike Bass, Executive Vice President, Communications, regarding the proposed sale of the Los Angeles Clippers:

“Commissioner Silver has consistently said the preferred outcome to the Clippers proceeding would be a voluntary sale of the team. Shelly Sterling advised the NBA last night that an agreement had been reached with Steve Ballmer, and the NBA Advisory/Finance Committee met via conference call this morning to discuss these developments. We await the submission of necessary documentation from Mrs. Sterling. In the meantime, the June 3 special meeting of the NBA Board of Governors remains as scheduled.”

Thursday in San Antonio the Spurs pounded the Oklahoma City Thunder 117-89 to take a 3-2 lead in their Western Conference Finals series. In the win, Tim Duncan shot 8-of-13 for 22 points and 12 rebounds, while Manu Ginobili nailed 7 of 9 shots for 19 points and six assists. Enjoy these Duncan and Ginobili-centered video highlights: